To think no one is testing for Covid anymore?

Current Government and NHS advice (2024) states that if you have a positive result to distance yourself for 5 days.

Heavy cold, flu or Covid... Keep germs away from folk if possible.

I have a compromised immune system - I was sent a box of tests. If I have symptoms I test and if it's positive I need to call a helpline and I'm sent anti virals. I've not had COVID yet but it could really impact my health. I carry on as normal but I know people with my condition who are still scared to go out etc.

Been a couple of years since I tested and I don't know anyone else who does.

People are too tight to pay for the test kits.

My husband is one of those extremely vulnerable who had to shield people.

We do still both test if we have cold symptoms. Only because he can then notify his consultant and get advice on whether he needs antivirals or to be admitted. He gets the vaccine every time he's called up, we can't really do much more. Apart from having to take immunosuppressants he is fit and well with no other conditions.

We don't avoid people who have colds or test our kids. We all have to get back on with life the best that we can. We know what actions we need to take as a family, it's more extreme than others but we can't hide away any longer.

Good afternoon.
I'm a cardiologist at an NHS hospital in England.

Covid19 (SARS) is often silent. You can be infected and spread it to others, such as vulnerable people, despite feeling fine yourself. This is the point of testing when visiting a vulnerable person or group.

There are many ignorant comments in this thread; likely because people do not understand covid19 even after years of information being available. I expect the current attitude is due to lack of covid19 in the news, which is understandable.

There is emerging evidence from long term studies in England, Scotland, Canada and the US that around 20% to 40% of people with covid19 asymptomatically (no symptoms felt) or mild (recover at home) have a much higher risk of cardiovascular problems within 2 years of infection. If you are getting infected with covid19 once or twice every year, this risk rises and rises and does not decrease.

A cold does not increase your risk of heart damage, heart diseases, lung issues, asthma and a whole host of other diseases, neither does the flu. Covid19 is SARS - severe acute respiratory syndrome.

The symptoms you feel might be a cold with a lot of fatigue, then you recover, but you cannot feel the damage being caused in your veins, blood, muscles and organs. Most people it seems now mistake their acute symptoms felt as finishing and so, for them, the covid19 infection is over. This couldn't be further from the truth in a high percentage of random people studied. Many comments here are pretending covid is just a cold, but unfortunately it has now emerged that the underlying damage is beyond what we could have expected.

You might be familiar with Dr.Rae Duncan, based at Newcastle NHS, who has been researching and warning of this. I would urge people to understand that the pandemic has not been declared over and your desire covid19 was just a cold or is gone does not mean this is the case.

Dr.Duncan appeared recently on the BBC and explained the summary of the studies for mild and asymptomatic cases and the high volume of negative impacts found in people who think it was just a cold and did to harm them otherwise. Extrapolate this to the UK population and realise it is possible that the iceberg we are heading towards is large.

BBC interview with Dr.Rae Duncan. Please note the mention of harm to people without longcovid who have no symptoms of covid or a mild case:

I was really unwell with covid so my consultant has advised me to take as many precautions as I can as my immune system doesn't function

Not from the government but yeah individuals may be advised to by their doctors/consultants

Specific to covid though? Or in the way that (for example) cancer patients have long been advised to due to lack of immune post chemo?

I and many other don't have an immune system following chemotherapy or due to immunosuppressive medication.
What don't you understand about that?
I've had 6 covid vaccines and not one of them has given me any antibodies. I was too ill to have the last 2 boosters but they wouldn't have worked anyway.

Is this specific to covid? Surely you are just at risk from all the other viruses - adenoviruses, noroviruses, flu etc. All of these can be mild in healthy folk and deadly to the vulnerable (my premature baby was seriously unwell due to an adenovirus).

Not from the government but yeah individuals may be advised to by their doctors/consultants

I wasnt aware that there was still any medical advicd for CEV people to shield? Is there actually?

They are probably out of date

I test Covid for every cold as I’ve had a free supply of tests. I won’t be buying any tests when the free ones stop.

But testing isn't going to help on its own. And people still have to work even if they test positive

Many people won't be ever worried about anything.

I know not everyone can work for home, but majority of office people can.
I can amend my previous statement as "it is antisocial to spread germs when there is a choice".
It is very frustrating that all it takes is one selfish twat to make ill half of the others.

I still test. There's a girl in my work whose husband is immunosuppressed and she sent an email asking if we would if we suspected we had it. Also a girl who is pregnant. So I guess it's different for everyone.

But if you are unwell, you wouldn’t meet up with vulnerable people anyway, would only not meet up it it was covid? So, what is the point of testing?

Short termism at its finest. They had millions to spunk on dodgy contracts and piss poor, structurally unfair laws. But proper sick pay, nah, can't have that one. The peasants might get too used to it!

Would be interesting to know what costs the government more.

Sick pay for covid absence or loss of revenue through so many people with Long Covid.

I just can't conceive of any framing that would make the public inclined to listen to Sunak and co on the issue. He's about as well respected as herpes.

They're all incompetent and most of them spent months refusing to do anything about Boris repeatedly lying to the Commons about his lockdown breaches. If they try and tell anyone what they ought to be doing now, they'll be laughed out. Rightly so.

Your use of the term practical is right, I think. We need structural change, like better sick pay. Not words.

It’s really sad.

I wonder if some people will ever get past the fear. I have scored full house on my covid bingo card on this thread.

I and many other don't have an immune system following chemotherapy or due to immunosuppressive medication.
What don't you understand about that?
I've had 6 covid vaccines and not one of them has given me any antibodies. I was too ill to have the last 2 boosters but they wouldn't have worked anyway.